Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S. grocery giant Kroger Co (KR.N) is in talks to merge with smaller rival Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Shares of Albertsons rose 7% on the report, while Kroger's stock slipped.
Kroger, which also houses supermarket chains such as Fred Meyer, Ralphs and King Soopers, trails Walmart Inc (WMT.N), the top grocer in the country.
A deal could be reached as soon as this week, Bloomberg reported, adding that no final decision has been taken and talks could still be delayed or falter.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.